First day of summer

I think that Memorial Day is a great first day of summer, and this has been a great day for me. Chris and I spontaneously decided to go see Over the Hedge this morning at 10. Apparently they show movies that early in the summer! The movie was wonderfully entertaining and funny; we both really enjoyed it. After that we headed back to the house to take care of a few things, and then it was off to Mom and Dad’s house for burgers with the family. We hung out there for a while until it was time for my brother and his family to go back home. At home, we watched The Chronicles of Narnia and then went for a brisk walk with Bella. We even decided to run part of it. When we returned from our walk, we decided to take advantage of the pool at our apartment complex. It was our first swim of the season, and we had the pool all to ourselves. We decided to do a bunch of pool exercises and then relax. We really got a great workout in today.

Oh, and I simply can’t believe this, but Chris asked me if I would like to start doing our walks in the morning! I love working out in the morning, and so next week we’re going to leave at 5:30 AM to walk together. I am so excited about this. The reason why we’re not going to start this week is because I actually have this week off, and I would like one week of not having to get up early. I get up early during the school year to work out; the really great thing is that in the fall Chris will be getting up with me to work out. Anyway, I will start my summer job next week, so this is like a vacation week for me, except for the meeting I have at school tomorrow.

Oh, I forgot to tell you a cute story about my five year old nephew Jack from my birthday. At Logan’s they took me to a more crowded area of the restaurant to properly embarrass me for my birthday. Other than my nephew Seth who also had a birthday coming up, the rest of my family was back at the table. After I received my “yahoo” I returned to the table. Jack asked me what they gave me, and I said that all I had gotten was the “yahoo.” Jack wrinkled up his little forehead and asked, “Can I see your yahoo? What color is it?”

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yesterday was my birthday. Chris and I had grand plans to take a trip down the Natchez Trace and have a picnic, but that didn’t happen. It would have been so romantic. Oh, well; we’ll have to go later. Anyway, I did get to have lunch with my dad at the Cheesecake Factory. The lunch was good, but the Godiva chocolate cheesecake was divine! The waiters sang to me, of course, but the real treat was that “Happy Birthday Kay” was written in chocolate sauce around the plate. I thought that was a sweet touch. After lunch Dad and I decided to take a stroll around the mall. We discovered a pair of very pretty cubic zirconium earrings on the floor and just as I picked them up a man called out to me and asked if I had just dropped them. Apparently a girl had just been arrested for shoplifting and had dumped the merchandise just before they caught her with it. I was able to return the earrings to the store. No reward, just the satisfaction of bringing about justice.

Other than that exciting outing, I went to see Poseidon at the IMAX with Chris on Monday night at 10 P.M. We never stay out late, so it was really an event for us. We both really liked the movie; I was on the end of my seat for most of the movie. I actually celebrated my birthday at several restaurants this year. There was the dinner at Goten with my family, Sunday lunch at Logan’s where I received a “ya-hoo” for turning “21”, the lunch with Dad, and last night at J. Alexander’s with Chris’s family. I also received a lot of nice things for my birthday. Chris did a great job. He gave me a necklace and earring set, a new book, a subscription to Real Simple magazine, and three cards. Even though I enjoy the attention, I’m truly glad that my birthday is over. I really am having a hard time with the number this year; I guess I just need some time to adjust.

Finally!

I can’t believe that I’ve made it! The last day of classes is over, and I am so relieved. The students really pressed the boundaries, and let me tell you, I exercised a great amount of patience. The last day was Thursday, and I only had to work for four hours on Friday. Afterwards I went to treat myself with a manicure and pedicure and took my friend Charlene with me. I love being pampered and really don’t get the chance to do it very often, maybe twice a year, but this new place I went is considerably cheaper than other places I’ve been. Maybe I will be able to go a little more often, like four times a year.

How I long to be fit! While I was sick I gained weight, and the doctors could not explain why that was occurring. Going to doctors can be so frustrating. We really never received conclusive answers on why I was sick or why I’ve gotten better. So, now I’m trying to get in better shape. The current plan is Pilates in the morning, walking in the afternoon, lots of water, and the Three-Hour Diet. Hopefully, by the end of the summer, I’ll be looking and feeling a lot better.

Did my post a few days ago sound too dismal? I think it’s just because I’ve been so tired lately. Maybe in a week, when all my regular school duties are complete, I’ll be sounding more chipper. Lately I’ve been pushing myself all day and then crashing hard at night. I need balance.

Tonight my family went to Goten to celebrate my brother’s birthday and mine. Chris, my two nephews, and I had a difficult time getting there. There were police cars and roadblocks everywhere, and we could not figure out what was going on. Every turn we made led us to another roadblock which caused in my brain no shortage of fantastical explanations. I turns out that the vice president was/is apparently in town; that’s a much better reasons for the lockdown than what I had going through my mind. Anyway, we had a very nice time at the restaurant. But what is it about Asian food that fills you up to a painful state? I think it’s the combination of the rice and whatever beverage that’s being consumed. I love the show that they put on as they cook your food, but my youngest nephew was terrified of the oil fires on the grill, and we all tried to assure him that he would be fine. Such a face! That bottom lipped protruded, and his eyes were shut tight! For most of the rest of the meal he kept his hands on his ears; all of the banging utensils seemed to unsettle him as well. After dinner we all went to my parents’ house to open presents and sample the caramel pie that my sister-n-law Laura made. All of us, except Chris and Dad, helped ourselves to a slice, even though we had just eaten a huge meal and orange sherbert at the restaurant. Laura took one the pictures from my wedding, a sweet one of my dad kissing my cheek, and put it on a large tile and gave me a stand to set it up with. I know that I cannot adequately describe how lovely this gift was; you would just have to see it. But I absolutely love it, and I can’t wait to find the right place for it in my home. Oh, here’s the picture she used.



Now I think I’ll go make myself a cup of Sleepy Time tea and try to wind down for the evening.

Hello?

Dear readers, are you there? I keep writing but have been getting no comments. I know that Mom has not been able to read, being that my husband is trying to fix her computer, but what about the rest of you?

I am so tired this week. I think it has something to do with the end of the school year. The students are exhausting me. The end is in sight, and I have little moments of excitement as I count down the days. I have little else to report. I am too tired and need to clean up a few things around the house before I settle in for some blessed sleep.

My birthday is next week, and I am not excited about it. All the illusions of glory that I always have built up in my head never come to fruition on my birthday. It’s like getting all worked up over a new movie that’s supposed to be some incredible blockbuster, but it ends up being just OK. This year I’ve tried to set up a couple things, but they just aren’t working out. So, I don’t want to make a big deal of it. If I don’t have high expectations, I won’t be disappointed.

Mmmm… sleep. The sooner I get all my little chores done, the sooner I get to climb into bed and read until I drift away. That sounds so good.

Tra-la-la…BANG!

So, this morning started out well. Chris and I got up and started getting ready for the yard sale at my parents’ house. Someone gave us a newer washer and dryer, so we were planning to sell our smaller old ones at the yard sale, and his dad was coming over to help us put it on my truck. As they moved it down the stairs, I stood out on our balcony listening to them giggle and waiting for them to move out to the sidewalk. Instead, I heard loud banding noises and yelling. I ran back into the house and made my way to the front door; I was going to see if I could go help them. Just as I opened the door, they came barreling back through. Apparently the washer fell off the dolly, and my father-n-law tried to stop it from falling down the stairs. This resulted in his thumb almost being severed from his hand He was bleeding profusely, and they rushed to the kitchen sink to get the bleeding under control and to better judge just what it was we were dealing with. It became readily apparent that he was going to have to go the emergency room. He ended up having to get 12 stitches and a tetnus shot. He is doing well.

It seems like these kinds of things happen when everything is sailing along just fine. We had a plan, and it was a good plan. We’ve been waiting for weeks to get a load of stuff out of the house for this yard sale. They were going to move the washer, and then we’d load up the rest of the stuff. We’d go over to my parents’, and I’d enjoy the day hanging out with my family and making a little cash. Well, that didn’t happen.

After the entire saga with the washer and dryer was over, Chris headed off to help his brother work on a car. My dad, in his truck, followed my brother Wayne and me in mine. We were on the interstate when Wayne asked me what was in the black bag in the back. I told him that it wasn’t a bag but a large bean bag chair. He asked me if I thought it was going to be OK, and I told him that he was wedged in quite nicely. Hmmm…. The next thing we knew, the bean bag was gone. We were unaware that it had flown out of the truck, smacked into the front of my dad’s truck, and rolled away! Wayne and I decided to call it a loss and go on to my parent’s house, but Dad ended up retrieving it and bringing it the rest of the journey!

The rest of the day ended up fine. The yard sale was a success. I was able to spend some time with my family, and I made a little cash. After this crazy day, I am exhausted and will hopefully be in dreamland soon!

Personal Business

I am not sure if I could ever run my own business, but I would like the chance to find out. Perhaps some day I will have a bookstore, café, or a bed and breakfast; I’ve even thought about running a small daycare. Don’t get me wrong; I have a great job. I love where I work now. However, sometimes I think it would be nice to make my own rules. I’m not saying that I don’t want or appreciate accountability. It doesn’t matter what you do, everyone has to be accountable to someone; that’s the way it should be. However, there are times when decisions are made for me in which I wish I had more input. Is this one of those “the grass is always greener…” situations? It could be.

I’ve been reading nonstop lately. I have a stack of books beside my bed that I am working through and another one on my desk at work. I love movies, but there’s nothing like the visions I have as a story plays itself out in my head. Chris and I tried to go to the library in order to get a membership for him last night, but they closed at 5:30. Isn’t that a strange time to close a library? Anyway, we need to do something to make more books available to my husband. He has either read everything or is not interested in what’s on the shelves at the bookstore or doesn’t want to pay the hefty prices for some books. We both love to read and could spend a fortune at Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Davis Kidd. We need to make use of the library. I guess the thing that gets me is the limited time to read the books that are checked out and the late fees. Of course it would be cheaper to pay the late fee than to buy the book, but then I wouldn’t have the book on my shelf as a trophy of my accomplishment. I guess one could argue that I have enough books to show my love of reading, and I don’t really need to own a book unless it’s a classic or one that I am likely to read more than once.

On to another subject, I’ve been wanting to post this picture of Bella. We finally found a bone big enough for her!

Off Kilter

Today was a just a little off. There’s no concrete explanation that I can give you; it just was what it was.

We celebrated my birthday at lunch with a strawberry cake, and someone brought me a lunch from Cracker Barrel. The interesting part of all this is that my birthday is not for another couple weeks. It’s one thing to celebrate the weekend before or after, but weeks before is weird. I ate birthday cake for me, but I didn’t get any birthday wishes from anyone. So, happy early birthday to me!

The baby shower for my friend Bridget was a success, tons of pink gifts for her and her baby girl, lots of oohing and aahing. But there was so much noise and activity; I couldn’t focus very well and ended up missing her opening most of the gifts. I felt a bit disconnected, like floating through a pool with my head underwater. You know what that’s like? You can hear noises; you’re aware that people are there, but you’re strangely removed.

After work, I rushed home to drop of the rest of my birthday cake and then dashed back to my truck in the pouring rain. I was heading to my boss’s house to watch the Oprah show. I arrived just as the rain became a torrential downpour, and I ended up getting soaked as I hurled myself towards the front porch. A few weeks ago my boss and two other teachers went to Chicago for the show, and the episode was airing today. All of the women at work were invited to go. I have often missed out on these gatherings because of scheduling conflicts, and I was determined not to miss this one. However, other than those three women who were on the show, I was the only one to show up. The four of us sat in her den watching and enjoying each other’s company, but they never really had camera time, so all of our eager anticipation amounted to nothing.

The best part of today was walking with Chris though we did not walk any of our normal routes. Since it was raining and the truck was on empty, we decided to take care of two things at once. We stopped to fill up and headed to the mall near our house to do a little power walking. The mall is really a strange place to visit. Most of the stores have closed, and there are very few people milling around the few stores which have remained open. But it’s a great mall for walking; we didn’t have to navigate through crowds. We rounded the mall four times acting like silly little kids and basically just shooting the breeze. So nice.

And now I must put my house in order so I can go to sleep.

Ch-ch-ch-changes….

David Bowie sang about changes. I know I’ve heard that song a hundred times, and I could sing along if it was on the radio, but I can’t remember any of the lyrics at this moment. I was just thinking about the year I’ve hard.

We only have eight days of classes left. After that I give an exam and proctor two others. I have various other meetings and duties to attend to, but the school year will be finished, and I can start to decompress. As it is I can hardly keep my thoughts straight. I keep forgetting things until the last minute; I’m sure that as the time dwindles down I’ll forget things altogether and be blissfully unaware that I missed anything.

This year has been different from the others, but I think that’s because of all the changes I’ve gone through. I did get married just a couple weeks before the school year started. This was also the first year I have not be involved with the fine arts department. The last couple months have been full of change. Three of my friends have announced their pregnancies; and people have been moving into new homes. Though I feel that too much has changed too fast for me, I am looking forward to the changes that will be taking place in a few weeks. Usually I go through a type of separation anxiety at the end of the school year, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case this time. My stress level needs to decrease for a bit; my brain needs a rest.

I was gazing at the pool across the parking lot tonight. Warm weather will be here soon, and I can enjoy basking in the warm glow of the sun and floating lazily around on my big blue float. I love lounging by the pool with my earphones on, lost in the cool tunes, the hot sun, and the glistening blue water. Before you get too jealous, I won’t be over there all the time. Remember, I will be working this summer. But I will be rushing home at the end of the day anxious to take a quick dip before the sun goes down and all chances of freshening up my tan are gone.

Tomorrow we’re having a baby shower at work for my friend Bridget. She’s having a girl in August, and we’re all wearing pink to celebrate her and the baby. I really want to look cute, so I think I’ll go obsess over what I’m wearing tomorrow. Of course, first I have to clean up the kitchen from dinner and take care of the clothes in the washer and dryer. A woman’s work is never done.

Trash Can Living

The title has to do with Oscar the Grouch, who I can really relate to right now. I suppose the difference is that he seems to relish the fact that he’s grouchy, and I really don’t want to be. I’ve been pretty grouchy for the last couple days. I even told the students that I woke up grouchy yesterday. I hate feeling like this, and I wish that I could just flip a switch and be super cheery girl. I’m trying. Bella growled at me a lot tonight. She never does that; maybe my mood is catching. I certainly hope not.

Yesterday was my dad’s 56th birthday. The twelve of us which includes my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her husband, and Chris and me gathered at a restaurant for dinner. Just as is always the case with a big group of people, several different conversations occurred all at once, and each person took their leisure to drift in and out, sampling parts of each discussion or observation. The evening, for the most part, went well, and we were able to enjoy being together as a family. I wish these events could happen more often, but, with the distance between our homes and our busy schedules, it’s not possible.

My brother and his family are here for the weekend. Tonight Chris and I brought our two oldest nephews home with us. If they lived closer we’d try to have them over once or twice a month. We enjoy spending time with them so much and miss them greatly in between visits. I guess we’re going to have to get children of our own sometime! We ate a late dinner and watched The Replacements on TV. I really like that movie. I like a lot of sports movies because they tend to be inspirational and fun. I guess I’ll probably spend the rest of the evening reading or falling asleep while they find some video game to play.

There are only two weeks of classes left and then exams. After that I will take a week off before starting my new job; I’m going to need a little time to take a break and decompress. I was going to start the day after school ended, but Chris convinced me to give myself a little time; he’s such a smart man. I’m still going to be working at the school during the summer, but I’m going to be answering the phones. It will be a complete change of pace, and I hope that I don’t get tired and sluggish from sitting all day. I’ve been trying to gather ideas for things that I can do while I sit there. I'll read and write and maybe finally be successful at teaching myself to knit. But I really need some other ideas. It’ll be quiet around there with school out of session, but at least I have a job and will be making more money.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream is waiting for me.

Happy Thoughts

Two mornings ago, after I had gotten ready for work, I sat on the bed eating my breakfast, a bowl of Fruity Dino-Bites, and watched a little of Monster’s Inc. with Chris who was still snuggled under the covers, and I was struck with how little it takes to make me happy. There are things in everyday life that bring little rushes of happiness and help the day to move along a little better. I love the first moment I see Chris at the end of the day. I love buying a new piece of clothing and receiving compliments on how I look the first time I wear it. I love the fact that my dog Bella loves me and wants my attention no matter how many times I rant and rave at her. I love reading in bed until I can’t hold my eyes open any longer and then drifting off to sleep with the book still open in my hands. Here are a few of my other favorite things that I am currently enjoying:

Butterflies: Butterflies are so beautiful and light. It seems that they exist just for the beauty that they bring to the world. There’s also the fact that they have to go through a great struggle in order to fly. They work very hard to escape from their cocoon, and the struggle pushes a fluid into their wings that enables them to fly. Struggles make you stronger.

Bunnies: Every time I see a bunny in a field I feel a thrill of delight surge through me. Sure they are cuddly and soft, but I don’t really know what it is about them that makes me so happy. I’m much happier seeing them out in nature than at the pet store. I’ve thought about having one as a pet, but I just don’t think I’d be very happy about it unless I had a large yard for it to hop around in. There is a park near my home, so I get to see bunnies in the wild every few days.

People Magazine: It’s reliable entertainment news. I don’t like many of the other entertainment magazines because they are more gossipy in nature. Plus, there’s the fact that I love doing the crossword every week. I can never complete the crossword in the newspaper, but I’m great at the one in People. I don’t like reading the newspaper or watching news shows on TV; they just bring me down. It’s all bad news, and there is enough to deal with in my every day life. People magazine is entertaining and informative; I like that.

Gilmore Girls: Every afternoon I try to make it home by 4 in order to catch reruns of Gilmore Girls on the Family Channel. Unless I have a bad headache, I quickly change into my workout clothes and walk on my treadmill while I watch. I love the quirkiness of the characters and the snappy dialogue. I get lost in their little world for an hour each day. On Tuesdays I get to watch the watch the show twice because of the new episodes, but that will soon change as the season ends.

Little Big Town: I have been listening to the album The Road to Here quite a bit lately. It’s just a lot of fun, great to sing along with. One of the songs that I particularly like is “Welcome to the Family.” It’s being sung to the groom of the singer’s little sister, and it reminds me a great deal of the type of talk that my brother gave Chris and my sister’s husband before we got married. The basic message is that you better treat my little sister right or you will pay; I get a kick out of listening to it. There was a time when I could not stand country music, and I didn’t understand how anyone else could enjoy it. I was proud of the fact that I was from Nashville but didn’t like country music. However, little by little, my sister and mom began to wear down my resolve. Then Chris came along and broke down the wall completely. Now it rivals any other type of music I listen to.

I guess that about does it for my list today. I could keep going, but what would I write about in other posts?

Give Me a Break

Teachers get themselves into interesting predicaments. Today, my students were taking a quiz, and I really needed to go to the restroom. Normally I could just run out quickly if they were just doing normal class work. However, I can’t just pick up and go while testing is going on; they must be supervised. So, I sent out a little petition for someone to run over to watch my precious little angels. No such luck. It wouldn’t be so bad if my classes were only 45 minutes, but they are 90 minutes long! Can you believe it? Do people in other professions have this problem?

I’ve gotten in the habit of calling my mom each morning on the way to work. It’s so nice to hear her voice first thing in the morning. She has such a soothing, peaceful voice. If I feel anxious about an issue, we don’t even have to talk about it. We can discuss the weather or what I’m wearing; I just feel calmer talking to her. I wonder if other moms have that effect. Is it just the “Mom Effect” or is it one of my own mom’s special qualities? Whatever it is I hope that my children feel the same about me as I do my mom.

Tonight Chris brought home dinner from Pei Wei. I love their lettuce wraps and Mongolian beef. We ate our delicious Chinese food and watched Fun With Dick and Jane, which stars Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni as a couple who lose all they have and end up opting for a life of crime in order preserve their family. For most of the movie, I felt very sad. I sympathize with characters in movies way too much. Chris says that the fact that I feel so much for these people in movies is evidence that I have a big heart, and I think that I’m just way too sensitive. At any rate, I was sinking lower and thinking that there was no way that it could end well. I, of course, forgot that it was a comedy and, by definition, has to have some kind of happy ending. Still, despite my generally positive outlook, I just couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I just didn’t know if I could keep watching if the movie was going to leave me wallowing in an abyss of failed dreams. I will not give away the ending for those of you who have not seen it, but I will say that I was pleased with the outcome. I can now move on with my life and sleep tonight without worrying about fictitious characters and their plight in life.

Though it is a bit too early for bed, I will be soon heading in that direction. I did not sleep well last night, have been dealing with a headache for much of the evening, and walked 2 1/2 miles on the treadmill this afternoon. I’m tired. So, I wish a good night to all.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?

I know that I have not tended to my blog for more than a week now. I apologize for my absence. Each time I sat down to write over the last week, I just wasn’t able to come up with anything. It’s not that my mind has been blank; it’s just been on overload. Too many thoughts have been swirling around in my head, and I couldn’t grab hold of one long enough to actually write something coherent.

I’ve been reading quite a bit. I read several books for work as I was attempting to find a new novel to teach next year. I was looking for one which would work in conjunction with Black History Month. I landed on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. It, along with its sequel, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, follows the life of the Logans, a black family in Mississippi in the 1930’s, and I simply couldn’t put down the books until I finished them. I am quite excited about teaching the novel and discussing the various issues the novel deals with.

In addition to my reading for work, I’ve been reading quite a bit on my own as well. I just finished Eldest, which is the sequel to Eragon by Christopher Paolini. My husband Chris is fascinated by dragons and turned me onto this series. By the end of the book I was breathlessly racing ahead to see what would happen next. I also finished a Nicholas Sparks book, Nights in Rodanthe, and I’ve been reading a historical fiction novel, Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. I would be remiss if I did not also include my Bible reading; I’ve been quite inspired by Philippians as of late. That pretty much sums up my reading over the past week and a half. As you can see, my interests are quite varied. I simply love reading; to me it is quite a gift.

Yesterday I went shopping with Mom. She is simply my best friend. I love spending time with her, and I am so grateful for the relationship we have. We skirted around the Bellevue area, taking care of various errands. One of my favorite stops was Michael’s, the craft store. I bought painting materials, scrap booking supplies, and some wood pieces for another project. I have painted the base color on one of my canvasses, but I have not been able to do much else, and I am anxious to work on the painting. Hopefully I will have some time this week to let my creative juices flow. I also picked up some information for the special classes at Michael’s. In June, I plan to take the first course of cake decorating, and in July I will hope to take the second course. I’m hoping that Mom will want to take them with me. I would start the classes in May, but one of them would interfere with my birthday, and I just can’t let that happen, so I will wait.

Chris and I have been seeing a few movies lately. The interesting thing is that most of them have been children’s movies. Most of them have been wonderful stories with plenty to thrill people from all age groups. One of the most important things for Chris and me is that a movie has a strong plot to move the action along. Special effects, good actors, and interesting cinematography are all important, but if the plot is lacking, the movie is just not worth the price of the movie ticket. It’s alright for rental. However, in order to justify spending the money it takes to go to the theater, the movie needs to be high quality. A few of the movies we’ve thoroughly enjoyed lately have been Nanny McPhee, Eight Below, and Ice Age 2. However, we were less than impressed with the movie we saw this afternoon, The Wild; the story line was weak. There hasn’t been anything else at the theaters to grab our attention. I think that we are in the lull that occurs between the feel-good Christmas moves and the summer blockbusters. I’m looking forward to more diverse choices in the near future; perhaps Chris and I will be able to find a movie with a more adult crowd to view. Lately we’ve been the only ones in the theater without children, but I guess that we’re both just a couple of big kids anyway!

Another entry

I just couldn't think of a title for this one. So here goes....

When I was a little girl, I would act like I was a teacher. I would set up a dozen or so of my stuffed animals and my Barbies, and I would often include my little sister in her carseat to the mix. I had a chalkboard and extra workbooks and I would go around and check everyone's work and instruct them the best I knew how. I had a captive audience, and I loved it.

It's interesting that I feel much the same now as I did then. Sometimes when I'm filling out various forms or implementing some strategy in my lesson plans, I feel like I'm "playing school." I guess that means that I'm having fun. On most days, I do enjoy my job very much. I think at least part of that might be that, just as I did when I was a little girl, I have a captive audience.

I think that I was born to be a teacher. No matter where I go in life, I think that I will always find a way to teach. But as we get to the end of the school year, I'm getting tired. We're going down the home stretch here, and I want to sit down and forfeit the game. But I will press on and work hard to finish well.

Speaking of finishing well, Chris and I broke down and bought some new furniture the other night. It was like an aventure. Friday night I told Chris that we really needed to do something to brighten up the apartment and to get the office organized. So we went to Walmart to see what we could do. I saw a pine TV armoire that I just feel for. However, they didn't have one in stock at that Walmart, so we had a guy at customer service call across town to check their stock. They had one left, so we rushed over and bought the armoire, three sets of bookcases, a computer desk which has another set of shelves with it, a torchiere lamp, and a nightlight. I know it sounds extravagant, especially for two people who are quite limited on funds. But we did get a good deal for our money, and the items we had in our apartment were falling apart and just plain ugly. Now my apartment seems more like a home and less like a transitional place.

Happy Easter!

I was able to celebrate the day with both my family and Chris’s. We had lunch with his side in Crossville, and it was so wonderful to get away from town to a place a bit slower and more peaceful than our every day lives. We drove back to Nashville and arrived a little after four. Shortly after than, we had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard for my nephews, and I felt such happiness watching those boys scurry back and forth and discovering the eggs. Then we had the hunt for the “big kids.” (That would be my siblings, me, and our spouses.) We hunted inside the house for eggs filled with coins! There were three prize eggs, and I found two of them, but I let someone else get the second one I found. I wanted someone else to have the thrill of getting it; one prize egg was enough for me.

On the way home tonight, I felt like I was beginning to see the wonder of the world again. There is so much beauty and joy to be had, and I don’t want to miss it. Hearing my nephews laugh, seeing my brother after a long absence, spending time with my beautiful Mom, hearing “I love you” from any member of my family, having my husband wrap me up in his arms, feeling the cool breeze on this warm spring day: these are all things to be thankful for. And they are all gifts from God. I am blessed. I hope that you are able to find blessings in your day as well.

Back to Life

I really haven’t been able to write over the last couple weeks. There has been too much upheaval in my life, and I have not been dealing very well with it. Really, I just haven’t been myself. But, I’m back.

Today I have the day off of work for Good Friday. The significance of this weekend does not escape me. It’s all about redemption and new life. I can’t wait until Sunday. I feel like there’s some new phase waiting for me there. I do get to see Wayne, Laura, and the boys. I’ll be spending time with Chris’s family and then with my own, and it promises to be a positive, upbeat day. After all that’s happened, I need fun and good news. And I don’t mean to be selfish, but good news for other people doesn’t count. Other people have been telling me all of their good news, and while I am happy for them, Chris and I need good news for us.

It’s 10 o’clock in the morning, and I’m still in my pajamas! I need to get moving here in a few minutes. I have so much to do around this apartment. Does anyone have any ideas for how I can brighten this place up? Lately I’ve been struck with how dark it is in here. I don’t know what to do about that. After I finish a few little chores around here, I will be going to meet my mom, a friend, and her mom for lunch at one of my favorite places, the City Limits Café. They have great Panini sandwiches there, delicious soups, and yummy desserts.

Hopefully, I will have more to write later and can write more often. I have missed it.

Hit Rewind

That’s what I wish that I could do. My parents have had eight foster children over the last ten years, and this week my first foster brother Charlie was killed. He died Friday morning, though we found out about his condition Wednesday night. I really can’t write of the details here, but I suppose I can say that his life was taken from him.

He was with my family for a couple years, and then he was adopted by some of his extended family members. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with him this last year. We watched a bunch of old home movies before we sat down to dinner, and though some of what we saw was painfully embarrassing, we still enjoyed a little trip down Memory Lane. What can I tell you about Charlie? He was twenty three and would have gotten married in August. He had a wonderful smile and a silliness that was endearing. He loved being with my family. And I would like to run time back to stop the tragic ending of his life, but I can’t. And tomorrow afternoon we will lay his body to rest, but his spirit is already in heaven, finally set free from the hardships he endured while on this earth. That is what I must concentrate on in order to ease some of the sadness. I am sad. And I’m mad that something so senseless happened. And my mind keeps rejecting the reality of this.

It’s just going to take some time.

Exhausted!

This weekend I’ve helped my sister move, helped my old roommate shop for her new house, driven my nephews back to Fort Knox, and packed for a trip I’m going on tomorrow. I have to be at the school at six in the morning, and I’ll be heading off to the Smokey Mountains with 82 seventh graders for three days of hiking. I am so tired right now that I can hardly think of tramping around on trails with a bunch of kids.

The really hard part of this is that this trip will be the longest that I’ve been away from Chris since we’ve been together. I know that many other women have to spend months and even years away from their spouses, so I can’t really compare. However, I am very sad. Even though I haven’t left, I miss him already.

For now, I need to double check my packing list and get ready for bed. I’ll be back on Wednesday night.

Grrr….

One of the things I truly hate is when someone says, “Welcome to the real world” or some variation of that. It REALLY gets under my skin. Today I was treated to one of those little variations. I was red hot. I kept my composure until I left work, but I was really mad. Have I not been in the “real world?” By the way, everyone is in the real world. People have different circumstances and positions in life, but difficulty doesn’t fit only certain groups: social, age, race, gender, etc. I hate it when adults say to younger people, “Just wait until you get into the real world.” That’s just stupid. Of course kids can’t handle whatever the adult is going through; they’re not supposed to. They’re handling what they can at their age. And, by the way, I am not a child and don’t need anyone to tell me what it’s like in the “real world.” (taking a deep breath) I’m done fuming now.

Speaking of kids, my nephew Brent was at my apartment when I got home. Chris had to go off for a call as soon as I arrived home, so it was just me and Brent. Not long after Chris left, he called and said that he’d left an important notebook at home, so Brent and I hoped in the truck to take it to him. Afterwards, we dropped by the mall, browsed around, and left to go get Icees at the gas station. It was totally simple afternoon, and it made me feel so much better, just hanging out with Brent. Tomorrow he’s going to spend the day with me at work. I’m baffled by the fact that he wants to hang with me at school on his Spring Break. But I’ll be glad to have him there, and my students are really excited that he’s coming too.

Have a mentioned my great love for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? That show is phenomenal! I absolutely love watching it on Sunday, but now they have this four week special with them helping victims of the hurricanes. The magnitude of their generosity astounds me and causes me to wish that I had the means to help people in the same way. And it reminds me that while I genuinely long for another place to live, I am much better off than so many others and should be thankful for what I have.

Singing in the Rain

Tonight Chris and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and got caught in a little rain. It was really not enough to get us wet, but I still wondered if we were crazy to go walking on such a night. Neither one of us really expected it to start raining, so I guess we’re not really that crazy. The thing is that contrary to my title we didn’t sing in the rain. I thought about it and almost asked him if he would like to sing. So, even though I didn’t do it; it’s the thought that matters, right?

Lately it seems that there are so many issues that seek to congest the highways of my mind. I keep looking for a way out of the madness, but things just get more and more backed up. Walking and talking with Chris did me a world of good. I need to be reminded that things are going to work out and that I am loved. Don’t we all need that?

I went back to work today after my blessedly uneventful spring break. It was quite strange to be there, but of course I feel easily back into my routine. I enjoy being around the students and the people I work with. Everyone was animatedly telling their vacation stories; the children kept trying to one up one another with crazy and interesting things that happened on their trips; they went on cruises, skiing, to the beach, and to Italy. I was quite entertained with their delightfully retelling of trying out the black diamond slopes, visiting the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, and enjoying time with their families in Florida. While I laughed at their stories and lamented the fact that I have gone so long without feeling the sand between my toes, I still loved the fact that this year I didn’t need a vacation to recover from my vacation.

It’s going to be an early night for me. I only had about three hours of sleep last night, so I plan to go to bed early tonight to catch up a bit.

Growing pains

While trying to edit my last post I had some problems with the pictures. So, I'm going to try again to post a couple pictures.

This is Chris and me with Bella a few months ago.



This is us shortly after we got her.



My hasn't she grown! And yet her living space has not. It's a good thing she's pretty and sweet.